PlantSowGrow
Horseradish

How to plant and care for Horseradish

Armoracia rusticana

🌿 Herb 🔁 Perennial

Fiery roots for the classic sauce with roast beef. Very easy — too easy: grow it in a big pot or a spot where it can spread.

At a glance: harvest from mid September.

When to plant and care for it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Plant
Harvest

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Horseradish: what it needs

Light
Full sun · 6+ hours a day
Watering
Water in dry spells
Soil
Deep, moist soil
Spacing
30 cm
Height
60 cm
In pots
Grows well in containers
Feeding
No feeding needed
Hardiness
USDA zones 5–9

Step by step

  1. Mid March – late April · 4 weeks before the last spring frost

    Plant

    Plant root pieces (thongs) upright, 5 cm below the soil, 30 cm apart — or in a large, deep pot to stop it spreading.

  2. 0–1 days after “Plant” · Mid March

    Water In

    Water well, then keep just moist while it settles in.

  3. 180–201 days after “Water In” · Mid September – early October

    First Roots

    Lift a root or two once the leaves die back in autumn; leave the rest to thicken.

Every year

  • March
    Replant Thin Roots

    Replant pencil-thick pieces of root 30 cm apart for next year's crop.

  • October
    Dig Roots

    Dig up roots as needed from autumn to spring. Grate outdoors — it makes your eyes water!

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Photo: Amanda Slater from Coventry, West Midlands, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)